This is homebrew, submitted by a member of the community.
Kalke
Kalke
Small fiend, neutral evilSmall fiend, neutral evil
Extinguish Flames. Kalkes can extinguish candles, lamps, lanterns and low-burning campfires within 120 feet as a bonus action.
Detect Spellcasting. Kalkes can sense spellcasting in a 5-mile radius, as long as the effect is not innate.
Magic Resistance. Kalkes have advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.
[b]Extinguish Flames.[/b] Kalkes can extinguish candles, lamps, lanterns and low-burning campfires within 120 feet as a bonus action.
[b]Detect Spellcasting.[/b] Kalkes can sense spellcasting in a 5-mile radius, as long as the effect is not innate.
[b]Magic Resistance.[/b] Kalkes have advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.
Details
Combining the head of a goat and the body of a monkey makes the creature odd enough; combining the social grace of a baboon with pretensions of a scholar makes it more comical than threatening.
Fiendish pests that infest derelict wizards‘ towers and laboratories, the kalkes are either the by-product of botched gates into the lower realms or the personification of an evil deity’s contempt for wizards. All kalkes act with the arrogance of magi while having the social characteristics of baboons. Being of fiendish blood, kalkes do not age and require neither food nor drink. Though lacking any formal spellcasting ability, all kalkes can produce magical effects through the dramatic mumming of largely spontaneous and unstudied rituals.
Hoard Magical Paraphernalia. The drive to produce ever more fanciful rituals gives a kalke the compulsion to accumulate spell components, magical foci, and other occult paraphernalia. Although these objects serve no purpose, the kalkes seek out spellcasters in their vicinity and steal any paraphernalia they can find. Because they have no ability to distinguish what’s magically useful from what isn’t, they grab any jewelry, pouches, sticks, or ornate objects they uncover.
Sometimes children, animals, or other small humanoids are taken to be used as sacrifices, if they can be easily carried away.
Perform Rituals. Troops of kalkes inhabit trees, caverns, and ruins around sites of significant magical activity. Twice a month, or more during major astrological and seasonal events, the kalkes gather to perform-by way of dance, chant, and sacrifice-an imagined rite of great magic. The effort has an equal chance of achieving nothing whatsoever, causing dangerous but short-lived misfortunes (snakes raining on the countryside, creatures summoned from the lower planes), or triggering calamities (great fires or floods).
An additional side effect of these rituals is that the troop may gain or lose members magically. If the troop numbers less than 13, a new kalke appears as if from nowhere; if it contains 13 or more members, then 3d4 of them find themselves mysteriously gated to the nearest location of magical activity-often hundreds of miles away. Those teleported arrive in a state of hysteria, with individuals extinguishing flames, grabbing frippery, and running in all directions. Because kalkes have no control over their displacement, it’s not surprising to find them in abandoned dungeons or keeps, clutching the property of some long-lost wizard.
Hagglers. The kalkes will return the goods they’ve taken, in exchange for a ransom or fee. These exchanges need to have the outward appearance of being impressively in the kalke’s favor.
A particularly generous (or devious) spellcaster may be able to reach an accommodation with a persistent local troop of kalkes.
Combining the head of a goat and the body of a monkey makes the creature odd enough; combining the social grace of a baboon with pretensions of a scholar makes it more comical than threatening.Fiendish pests that infest derelict wizards‘ towers and laboratories, the kalkes are either the by-product of botched gates into the lower realms or the personification of an evil deity’s contempt for wizards. All kalkes act with the arrogance of magi while having the social characteristics of baboons. Being of fiendish blood, kalkes do not age and require neither food nor drink. Though lacking any formal spellcasting ability, all kalkes can produce magical effects through the dramatic mumming of largely spontaneous and unstudied rituals.
Hoard Magical Paraphernalia. The drive to produce ever more fanciful rituals gives a kalke the compulsion to accumulate spell components, magical foci, and other occult paraphernalia. Although these objects serve no purpose, the kalkes seek out spellcasters in their vicinity and steal any paraphernalia they can find. Because they have no ability to distinguish what’s magically useful from what isn’t, they grab any jewelry, pouches, sticks, or ornate objects they uncover.
Sometimes children, animals, or other small humanoids are taken to be used as sacrifices, if they can be easily carried away.
Perform Rituals. Troops of kalkes inhabit trees, caverns, and ruins around sites of significant magical activity. Twice a month, or more during major astrological and seasonal events, the kalkes gather to perform-by way of dance, chant, and sacrifice-an imagined rite of great magic. The effort has an equal chance of achieving nothing whatsoever, causing dangerous but short-lived misfortunes (snakes raining on the countryside, creatures summoned from the lower planes), or triggering calamities (great fires or floods).
An additional side effect of these rituals is that the troop may gain or lose members magically. If the troop numbers less than 13, a new kalke appears as if from nowhere; if it contains 13 or more members, then [3d4] of them find themselves mysteriously gated to the nearest location of magical activity-often hundreds of miles away. Those teleported arrive in a state of hysteria, with individuals extinguishing flames, grabbing frippery, and running in all directions. Because kalkes have no control over their displacement, it’s not surprising to find them in abandoned dungeons or keeps, clutching the property of some long-lost wizard.
Hagglers. The kalkes will return the goods they’ve taken, in exchange for a ransom or fee. These exchanges need to have the outward appearance of being impressively in the kalke’s favor.
A particularly generous (or devious) spellcaster may be able to reach an accommodation with a persistent local troop of kalkes.
Shout outs: Stacey, Nicole Carey-elmer, Michael Hamilton, Rob Hale, Vedie V, Mylon Schroder, Nathan, Conrad Carlson, Igor, Tiffany Mathis, Jordan Florez, Devantre Blackmon, Robert Rich, Miha Pavlovič, Mohammed Murtuza, bob leponge, TheFiendSaint, Robin Ellis-Foster, Deanna Pyle, Meme Pitt-Melton, E.D.F., Devon Bickel, IcySky121, Dan Evans, Lorena Stuart, Zee Livezey, Alexandra Nguyen, KuroKimora, Christianna Schommer, Kerry Melton, SpiritFang, Lizette Marie, DJ_Kelf, Insomic Panda, Laure Wouters, ItsWebby, paige anderson, Cassandra Keyes, Simon Wegerstedt, Naomi B, charles phillips, cgates, Darel Boyer, Rupert Borthwick, Michael Kraus, Rhys Blythe, Anthony Lopez, Nick Soucy, Dustin Gatliff, Melanie Warga, Jeremiah Walker, D. G. Speirs (The Tao of Maud), Randall Welker, Shyler Lance, Bryan Sheairs, matteo carbini, Koto Sinclair, Max Hops, Kris Drummond, Sarah Holland, Joshua David Maddox, Jennifer Smith, Standish Writes, Ray Bissonnette, Joe Dalby, Joline Tran, Matt Price, Yuki, ShortyMcgibble, Alex Lavigne, mtnman1979@aol.com, Parker VanDerMeide, KFB_Patreon, David Davidson, eric sun, Furbee Merchant, Jason Wenneman, Gundar Wez, Katherine Ekes Lewing, Matthew payne, Jacob Plummer, Ejay Mcmaster, RiGarou, Rebecca Montelli, John Karels, wintersanctuary, Dylan Williams, Snowy Snow, Jakasaras 4che, Nahellion, Robert D O'Dell, Alexander Garcia, Dale Wyble, Serena Verden, Alexander Griffiths, SnipsGTI, bilbens baggo, Stuart, IbKelek, Galygious, Nicole Patten, Clementine Turner, T. Alexander, Tim Mason, Maxwell Mayer, Gannon Dubay, Caio Mantovani Alves, Thobek, Aaron Teupe, Celso R Garcia III, Felix Schmäche, John, RRare, Brice Carpenter, Jordan Brazeal, Kyle Clark, Jake Lane, Adam Ruiz, Phillip P Torchia, Conor Quinn, Natalie Luttrell, Balanced Game Review, Stefan Gottschalk's, Matthew Wood, Royce Dillard, Bartis Edmond Hawley-Wall, Christina Majchrzak, jeremy baisch, Ivee Ransford, Zealot23, Nich Smith, Andre Wills, CJMAXP, Keaton Permenter, Shazear, Curran Vallejo, Leanna Orr, YaBoiBellabean, John Nazario, Gary, Gordon Alexander Fallon, Jason Clark, Topher Scott, Max Puplett
Their contribution stands as a beacon of hope for all adventurers!
